Thompson and Central-Phenix City are back in the spotlight Thursday night, and this one comes with no championship trophy waiting at the end. Instead, the two Alabama heavyweights open the 2026 season in the AHSAA Kickoff Classic at Central-Phenix City, another meeting between programs that have spent years setting the standard in Class 7A.
The matchup carries plenty of familiarity. Thompson edged Central 35-34 in the Class 7A semifinals last season, then rolled on to win the state title. That result fit the larger pattern, too: between them, the Warriors and Red Devils have claimed every Class 7A championship since 2018.
Thompson enters with the same kind of pressure and expectation it always seems to carry under Mark Freeman. Freeman has guided the Warriors to six state championships over the past seven seasons and eight straight trips to the title game.
Central, meanwhile, is starting over in a sense under Cody Flournoy, who takes the reins after Patrick Nix stepped away from coaching for ministry. Flournoy arrives after back-to-back Class 4A state titles at Jackson.
Still, the biggest spotlight Thursday will likely fall on Thompson quarterback Trent Seaborn. The Alabama commit starts his senior year with 10,145 career passing yards, leaving him within range of the Alabama high school record of 11,024 set by Piedmont’s Jack Hayes. He has also thrown 103 touchdown passes and has helped the Warriors reach the state championship game in all four of his varsity seasons.
Seaborn won’t be carrying the offense alone. Arkansas commit Darion Moseley headlines a deep group of receivers, and transfer running back CJ Cowley gives Thompson another piece to work with. On the other side of the ball, Oregon commit Cam Pritchett brings a major presence with 210 career tackles, 36 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks.
Central has its own talent to throw at Thompson. Quarterback Bobby Coleman, a Georgia State commit, passed for about 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns last season. He also threw three touchdown passes against Thompson in last year’s semifinal, even though the Warriors picked him off five times.
One of Coleman’s top weapons is sophomore Braylen Averett, a MaxPreps Freshman All-American who went over 1,000 receiving yards as a freshman. Up front, Miami commit Jatori Williams helps anchor the offensive line.
It all adds up to a season opener that feels like more than a season opener. Thompson gets an early test in another run at a Class 7A title, and Central gets its first look at the Flournoy era against the team that knocked it out of last season by one point. For two programs that so often meet with everything on the line, Thursday already has the feel of a game that matters far beyond August.
In Other News...
Alabama's Quarterback Battle Comes With One Early Concern
Alabamas quarterback competition has reached the point where the staff can finally start narrowing the field, with Austin Mack and Keelon Russell headlining the discussion as the Crimson Tide move through fall camp toward the 2026 season. Coaches have taken a measured approach with both players, and that caution makes sense given the broader shape of the roster, where defensive coordinator Kane Wommack is also sorting through inside linebacker options as the season nears.
The real challenge for Alabama is not simply picking a winner, but feeling good about how ready that winner will be when the games begin. Mack and Russell both bring promise, yet each has far less game experience than what most SEC programs lean on at quarterback, which helps explain why the staff is being deliberate. The competition should sharpen after the final fall camp scrimmage, but the early concern is already clear: the Tide need more than upside, they need a quarterback who can handle the leagues speed with limited live reps. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has A Few Late Camp Injury Situations To Watch
Alabamas second and final fall scrimmage brought the usual late-camp checkpoints, and the injury list was short but worth watching. Freshman running back EJ Crowell and sophomore wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks were both kept out of the work, a reminder that the Tide are still managing a few bodies as the opener approaches.
Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb both sounded encouraged afterward, saying Crowell and Brooks are expected back soon and should not be in danger of missing games. The one in-scrimmage setback came when junior college transfer Nick Sherman went down with a lower-body injury, giving Alabama at least one more condition to monitor as camp winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has A New Contender In Its Wide Receiver Battle
Alabamas wide receiver competition has settled into a familiar spring and summer storyline, with two spots already spoken for and one more still up for grabs. Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks are locked in as starters, while the third opening has been left unsettled by the injury to NC State transfer Noah Rogers, creating a lane for the younger receivers to make a move.
Derek Meadows has been the name climbing lately, with the sophomore drawing more snaps in recent scrimmages and earning praise from both coaches and teammates. Rico Scott has also put together a promising stretch in practice, giving Alabama more than one option to watch as the battle for that third receiver role continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]